Malta and Italy insist with EU to activate emergency migration mechanism

Directive 2001/55/EC provides for temporary protection to immigrants in the eventuality of a mass influx from third countries. It also places the responsibility on all member states to host them, and not just on the country they arrive to.

Italian MEP Fiorello Provera called on the European Council to move from words to acts and work on the resettlement of the refugees. Italy referred to Article 80 of the Lisbon Treaty which imposes the principle of solidarity and burden sharing amongst the Member states.

Both Provera and Maltese MEP Simon Busuttil urged the Council to implement Directive 2001/55/EC.

Busuttil also appealed to Malmström to evaluate the numbers on a relative basis not an absolute one. Malmström had previously said the number of immigrants was not alarming: “The number of immigrants coming to Europe from Libya has to be much higher.”

Busuttil said the 800 Eritreans and Somalis which landed in Malta in just 24 hours, is equivalent to 120,000 who would land in France in one day.

“Surely that would qualify as a mass influx,” Busuttil said.

Busuttil stressed that the EU already has a tool which can be implemented: “It is a Solidarity Mechanism envisaged in Council Directive 2001/55. The mechanism is triggered by a Council decision stating that a mass influx exists – on a proposal of the Commission.”

Busuttil said there is no doubt that there is a mass exodus from Libya: “Almost half a million people have fled Libya, mostly to Tunisia and Egypt, but now also to EU countries.”

Busuttil concluded: “I call on the Commission to take the political leadership and take the initative and on Council to honour its word and show concrete solidarity.”